Mobility platform Spoke has announced that it will use T IoT from T-Mobile and Deutsche Telekom to protect vulnerable road users (VRUs) like cyclists.
Spoke aims to protect VRUs by connecting vehicles like bicycles to the IoT and providing greater awareness of their presence to motorists using cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology.
Mishka Dehghan, Senior Vice President of Strategy, Product, and Solutions Engineering at T-Mobile Business Group, said:
“Spoke is exactly the kind of customer, innovation, and global application we had in mind when we launched T IoT earlier this year.
Spoke is looking to leverage IoT and 5G for global good, and with T IoT, they will have one team and solution to manage all their connections around the world—to help the most vulnerable on our roadways by connecting them to the mobility ecosystem around them.”
Spoke has been on a streak of signing major partnerships. Last year, the company signed collaboration deals with Qualcomm and Amazon Web Services. This year, Spoke has partnered with V2X connectivity giant Commsignia. Audi, meanwhile, has announced that it’s seeking to integrate Spoke’s platform to make its vehicles aware of cyclists and other VRUs.
With such momentum, Spoke has sought out a connectivity partner that can scale to its needs.
T IoT, a global IoT connectivity solution from T-Mobile and Deutsche Telekom, will be used by Spoke to connect and manage Spokeware—the hardware and software system that digitally connects bicyclists and motorists.
Jarrett Wendt, CEO of Spoke, commented:
“T IoT supports the low-latency speed and massive data required to connect Spoke’s global network of hardware and software on the road.
As a result, Spoke will deliver much more than peace of mind for cyclists. It will deliver a world-class user experience with ride-enriching features made just for them—like traffic, navigation, ride, and health information.
T-Mobile and Deutsche Telekom’s leading innovation makes them the perfect teammate for Spoke’s solutions.”
According to the World Health Organization, every year around 41 000 cyclists are killed while cycling to school, work, a shopping centre, or home. Around 50 million bicycles were sold globally last year, and that number is likely to increase further as more people seek greener, healthier, and cheaper methods of transportation.
To help protect the increasing number of VRUs, platforms like Spoke – supported with reliable connectivity – will be vital.
Dennis Nikles, CEO of Deutsche Telekom IoT, said:
“The future of our traffic system is based on a robust vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) ecosystem provided through global cellular 5G connectivity.
We are happy to support pioneers like Spoke and help build up a reliable connected system for mobility safety and rich rider experiences through our T IoT global footprint.”
T IoT supports a number of connectivity technologies – including NB-IoT, LTE-M, LTE, and 5G – in 188 destinations around the world. Such robust connectivity will help to ensure that alerts get sent as reliably and quickly as necessary.
(Image Credit: T-Mobile)
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